Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
Awhile back I wrote about a very clever organist who made what would have been an otherwise run-of-the-mill wedding ceremony a real treat. A friend of mine sent an audio clip of another organist who managed to turn a run-of-the-mill Halleluiah Chorus a real “laugh out loud” treat (although I doubt they intended for this to happen). Take the time to go listen, it only takes 42 seconds but you will …
What makes one orchestra better than another? What makes an orchestra good? What can an orchestra do to improve its artistic product? I started my analysis of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Report of Trustee Review Panel by writing those questions down on paper and then writing down answers as they popped into my head. I asked these same questions to a number of my orchestra musician friends as well and …
Do you think it would make sense that a person responsible for selling classical music should have intimate knowledge of and experience with classical music? In the orchestra business it seems that those requirements are becoming optional. With the increased pressures of selling more tickets right now, the business appears to be moving more and more toward a mass marketing mentality. And to their credit, when designed and implemented correctly mass …
Two recent donation events in the industry point to an important issue that has been hobbling efforts to use contributions to their best effect. The Detroit and Ft. Wayne organizations have both received large donations geared to underwrite their general operating expenses. “General operating expenses” is a catch all phrase used by orchestra administrators to include just about everything an orchestra spends money on. How an orchestra organizes its money is …
If your work schedule has been as busy as most over this holiday season take the time to relax a little over the next few days. If you want something to occupy your mind think about what I should have included on my “Top 10 list of orchestra related gifts” you could have purchased or received this season. Unfortunately, work kept me from putting together a complete list but I’d love …